The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan

 As a teenager, Jane Flanagan discovered an abandoned Victorian house painted lavender on a cliff overlooking the ocean in fictional Awadapquit, Maine, in The Cliffs, the latest novel by J. Courtney Sullivan, coming out July 16. When she found an unlocked door, she toured the mansion finding clothes in the closets, dishes in the cabinets, and marbles and glass on the floor. Something heartbreaking had occurred to the last family who lived there.

Years later, Jane would be asked to research the history of the house by its new owner Genevieve who gave no consideration to the history of the house when she gutted it and cleared away walls for an open concept. Jane, who had worked in Harvard’s archives, was back in Awadapquit to prepare her late mother’s home for sale as she took refuge from a scandal that cost her job and possibly her marriage.

When she reported her findings to Genevieve about the history of the home and its owners, she was surprised to find out that Genevieve had reason to believe the house was haunted: her little boy Benjamin was being visited by a ghost named Eliza. Jane delved into further research that uncovered information about the original owners of the home and the heartbreak they encountered as well as stories about subsequent owners.

This is the sixth novel by J. Courtney Sullivan, a former reporter for the New York Times. She  grew up in Boston and lives in New York with her family.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting April 17, 2024.

I would like to thank Alfred A. Knopf and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.